About GoldStar 
| Name | Age |
Project |
|---|---|---|
 Robert Day |
20 |
CSV |
Robert used to be a joyrider. Now he brings joy to everyone who meets him.
Robert Day didn’t have the easiest time as a teenager. Already suffering from mild learning disabilities and getting into trouble for joyriding, Robert then lost his Mum to illness. Finding himself in a Stage 1 hostel for homeless people, Robert was determined to make a fresh start. A staff member at the hostel put him in touch with Laura Barrie at CSV Millennium Volunteers and since then Robert has never looked back. Laura invited Robert to participate in the Yu-Act scheme which gives hard-to-reach young people a taster of voluntary work without all the usual entry forms and red tape. Discovering that (apart from his beloved Man United), Robert had a passion for gardening, Laura enrolled him in GroundWork, a scheme for restoring the garden and pond at a local school. Robert not only put in more time than anyone else but was also awarded a special certificate by the school. Since then, he’s become a fully fledged CSV Millennium volunteer, moved into a more independent hostel and now introduces other new recruits through Yu-Act’s open door policy. Up for most things and quick to make new friends, Robert has done everything from helping at the local Carnival and a Family Fun Roadshow to cleaning out the chimps at Whipsnade Zoo. He’s even dressed as a monkey himself to hand out bananas to passers-by! Monkeying aside, all this activity seriously suits Robert, as he explains:
"I was fed up with being in trouble. It’s difficult getting a job and I needed something better to fill my time. Being a volunteer has made me lots of mates, improved my life and hopefully it will help me get a job I really want as a gardener. The people, like Laura, are really nice too."
Laura must have heard that bit. She’s just signed Robert up for a week’s residential course in conservation and she’s promoting him to volunteering Ambassador.
Manager's comment:
“Robert would be the first to admit that volunteering gives him something interesting and worthwhile to do. With our Yu-Act project, we’ve tried very hard to break down the negative stigma of volunteering by making it relevant and exciting to young people. It’s easy to join, easy to find a project you enjoy and easy to make friends whilst helping others. We also work closely with Youth Offending organisations and local signpost hostels, which is how Robert found us.”
